Abounds with insights. It is tightly written and swept relatively clear of excessive economic jargon, [but] it isn't easy reading. The book is crammed with facts, data, cross-references and 21 pages of carefully crafted endnotes. Yet patient readers will be rewarded with a better and deeper understanding of the most extraordinary transformation in modern economic history.

A classic for many good reasons. First, the content itself is fascinating. The interaction of the Senate, Praetorian guards, "barbarians," and some of the lesser known emperors is riveting. The many examples of well-meaning but ultimately fallible individuals is grist for countless policy case studies. Second, the lucid prose and skillful use of primary source citations is an example to any writer trying to reconcile scholarly precision with robust and occasionally moving narrative. Finally, the illustration of a thoughtful 18th century Englishman's perspective on Rome adds another level to the narrative. How did England, near the height of its own powers, perceive the decline of another great empire? What lessons were drawn? The resemblances to our own age are unmistakable, if subtle.

Richard Sennett's book discusses the importance of learning from and working with others, particularly others with different perspectives. Sennett compares empathy to sympathy, subjunctive to declarative statements, dialogic to dialectic discussion, and borders to boundaries. He makes a powerful argument that people are being de-skilled, that they are mastering superficial tasks while losing their ability to do complex tasks — especially to deal with insurmountable differences.

The book is not a blind attack on American culture today or on technology; for example, Sennett describes how online social networking has allowed young, urban migrants to maintain strong ties with relatives in rural areas at the same time as it has encouraged narcissism and withdrawal. The book is a slow read and is fairly academic. It doesn't directly relate to my project work at RAND, but this book has made me rethink everything from my interactions with friends to the tone of my RAND reports.

A reviver of hope for those who are dismayed by all the current conflicts (many of them of the incongruously named "civil" variety) around the world. Pinker marshals evidence from history, economics, sociology, psychology,
and anthropology (and not to mention, peppers his monumental book with stomach churning descriptions of violent acts from the past) to argue violence has actually declined over the centuries thanks to civilizing and humanizing processes. Humanity — crooked, wretched, with our warts and all — take a bow, for evolving to this most peaceable of times. This is social science writing at its very best.

Sandra Aamodt and Sam Wang's Welcome to your Child's Brain presents a readable but comprehensive review of the latest information on child development, from prenatal stages, through infancy to adolescence.

While the book is targeted towards parents focused on supporting their child's healthy development, each paragraph introduces vital public policy issues relating to healthy development of children and families.

This text should be of interest to public sector leaders, health providers, educators or policy researchers, as well as students of public health, social work or public administration. Plus it's a fun read!

Dealing with surprises is an important part of many professions. They happen every day and we became curious about how different professions prepare for and respond to surprise. We decided to ask a diverse group of professionals what they believe creates surprise, how people respond to it, and how the effects of surprise can be mitigated. We were looking for strategies that are common across specialties, as well as how and why some strategies differ between professions.

— the authors (Baiocchi is a PRGS professor and Fox is a student, cohort '09)

Our Book Critics

Senior Mathematician

Emmett Keeler is a senior mathematician at RAND, a professor at UCLA Public Health School and at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. He has conducted technical analyses for studies evaluating quality improvement interventions, insurance design, cost-effectiveness, and quality-of-care statistics.

Distinguished Chair in International Economics

Charles Wolf passed away on October 24, 2016. He held the Distinguished Chair in International Economics at the RAND Corporation. He previously served as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State (1945–1947, 1949–1953). In the early 1950s, he was a visiting…

Director, Justice Policy

James Anderson is director of the Justice Policy program and of the Institute for Civil Justice in RAND Justice, Infrastructure, and Environment. He has been the principal investigator on a wide range of projects, ranging from policy implications of autonomous vehicle technology to understanding…

Operations Researcher

Kenneth Kuhn is an operations researcher at the RAND Corporation and a core faculty member at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. His research focuses on transportation system operations (particularly air traffic management), infrastructure management, the impacts of weather and extreme events, and…

Director, RAND Labor and Population

Krishna Kumar is a senior economist at the RAND Corporation and is the director of its Labor and Population unit, whose mission is to improve socio-economic wellbeing around the world through research and analysis. He also leads the Rosenfeld Program on Asian Development at the Pardee RAND…